E Minor (Em)

Download MIDI
1+b3+5
E1G3B5
4 4

Notes in E Minor

E (root)GB

Inversions

Same notes as E Minor, with a different chord tone as the lowest note. Useful for smoother movement between chords instead of jumping around the keyboard.

Root position

E in the bass

E1G3B5

1st inversion

G in the bass (Em/G)

G1B2E5

2nd inversion

B in the bass (Em/B)

B1E3G5

Press E, G and B together on the keyboard and you're playing E Minor.

Shrink the major third by a semitone and the same stable shape turns melancholy. A minor triad still resolves, it just carries a heavier, more introspective mood than its major counterpart. Sad songs lean on it constantly, but so do tense film cues and moody grooves, so treat the label as a starting point rather than the whole story.

Difficulty: Beginner. Category: Triads. Click any highlighted key on the diagram above, or tab to it and press Enter, to hear that single note. Inversions mark the bass note with a contrasting outline.